Blessing of the Eleventh Hour
Blessing of the Eleventh Hour (土壇場の祝福, Dotanba no Shukufuku) is considered to be a supplementary ability rather than a Magic; in fact, it's more of a Magic Skill due to its state of constant activation and how it's received. It's recognized as one of myriad magics belonging to the White Arts fighting style, denoting to its holy nature. According to Natsu Drákontos, the obtainment of this specific ability is a sign of a person's status as a "saint" — one who's been blessed by the heavens themselves, their very existence being dedicated to slaying all forms of evil and bringing peace to the land. He further states that it's a type of Enchantment and something affiliated with the element of light itself, brought forth by the bearer's own experiences in battle. It's considered to be a form of Caster Magic by Gardenia herself, stating that the magic has a slew of other capabilities aside from mere empowerment; this is especially true when utilized with all light-based and "positive" magics and abilities, including the famed Devil Slayer Magic and God Slayer Magic alike. Overview There comes a time in every generation that a hero arises to defend all that is good from a certain evil; they're trained for most of their life and are normally blessed by the heavens, gaining gifts to defeat such evil and liberate the lands from its tyranny. One would think such things can only be found in a fairy tale, but historical records show that such events have taken place time and time again, though it may be hard to believe initially. The gift that's bestowed upon the "chosen one" varies from individual to individual, no two gifts ever being the same and being closely-related to the chosen's personality and the evil they will eventually face in their lifetime. For Gardenia, it came in the form of this magic — tailored to her desire to become stronger and conquer all forms of injustice she may encounter. Blessing of the Eleventh Hour is a type of Enchantment and a derivative of Light Magic, originating from a religious fable concerning the motions of the sun and why the usage of one's time is vital. Aligning with the powers of light and the sun, Gardenia's unique blessing allows her to continually draw on the power on the solar celestial body, the amount determined by its position in the sky. Essentially, the higher the position, the more powerful Gardenia becomes as a result. In order to activate this skill, Gardenia usually says a chant taught to her by one of her religious mentors during her training days, which is something that's been passed down for many generations prior; as her magical aura flares, it continually gathers power from the atmosphere, specifically the aforementioned target, and draws it into her being — enhancing her. From Gardenia's testimony, once activated it remains constant so long as the sun remains in the sky; she has no control over it whatsoever, comparing the enchantment to a normal function of the body (i.e. the heart beating or nerves sending electrical pulses throughout the body). While Gardenia doesn't gain any notable changes, her hair tends to become more and more illuminated — radiating like the sun itself; upon it reaching its peak, her hair becomes snow white and her eyes become golden, a sign of the maiden reaching the ability's maxim. It's noted by Natsu that it was rather difficult for him to defeat Gardenia during their initial battle, solely because of this ability; the only way for anyone to defeat her whilst the ability is active is when its in its early stages. When it reaches pass a certain point, it becomes virtually impossible to stand against her, let alone defeat her. While the blessing main affords Gardenia fixed empowerment, it has some other capabilities — most of which is common in other White Arts and Light Magic variations. An example being the holy aura that becomes more and more potent as time passes; such an aura is typically effective against beings, techniques, and objects of a wicked nature — steadily rendering them powerless the longer they're exposed. It's also possible to the use the very same aura as a form of purification and healing, also activated through exposure. When used in-tandem with a weapon or object, especially those of a divine nature, its overall capabilities are enhanced to a some degree, becoming more effective as a result. Though this blessing has many benefits for Gardenia, it does have its fair share of drawbacks — thus the reason why she tries to finish her battles in a swift and timely manner. As the blessing is dependent on the position of the sun, it's natural that it follows a given cycle. Starting from dawn, her power level begins to rise steadily from one hour to the next, until it peaks at noon; it then starts to decrease steadily from 1'o clock onward, as the sun descends from the sky. The glow of her hair is somewhat of an indicator of her power level under the enchantment, acting as a gauge. As it gets brighter, she becomes stronger, and vice-versa. Furthermore, the blessing is heavily reliant on direct sunlight, thus cannot be used with any other light source or in areas where sunlight is absent. This limits Gardenia's usage of the blessing considerably, which is why she mostly relies on her physical skills and other White Arts to aid her in battle. Regardless, Blessing of the Eleventh Hour serves as one of the maiden's many weapons in her arsenal that, when properly combined with her other White Arts and unique form of Requip, make her a true terror to her enemies and a divinity in the eyes of her companions. Trivia *The author created this magic to further allude to Gardenia's status as a protagonist in the series and her status as a "saintly being" in lieu of certain aspects of her personality. *The name of this magic is a reference to the terminology behind the phrase "Eleventh Hour" — roughly resembling a point in time which is nearly too late. However, this is subverted in this case, as the "eleventh hour" represents the near pinnacle of the sun's position at the sky, being at its full-peak at noon. In this sense, this article inadvertently makes reference to Escanor and his unique ability, Sunshine, from the anime/manga series, Nanatsu no Taizai. Category:Magical Skill Category:Enchantment Category:Magic Category:Magic and Abilities Category:Caster Magic Category:Alpha's Wondrous Magical World Category:Light Magic Category:Olphion Completed Gallery